salmson wrote: It's a fully artificial pitch.

I think Connemara is right too, I make it four losses from four: we've twice lost narrowly to Cardiff since they got their plastic pitch, and we've been humped by Saracens & Newcastle in Europe as well.

Were there not 3 in Cardiff? I seem to remember the famous Claudio Blessano episode three seasons ago was on the new surface (I have vague memories of Matt Healy surfing in under the posts with a massive bow wave before it all went pear-shaped, but I could be conflating separate heartbreaks).

Yup one of the craggy island rugby lads confirmed it in Twitter

It's a fully artificial pitch.

I think Connemara is right too, I make it four losses from four: we've twice lost narrowly to Cardiff since they got their plastic pitch, and we've been humped by Saracens & Newcastle in Europe as well.

Can they make it hybrid?
We do well on that ...

Artificial I think. We'll never get a win there.

New official random stat. We've never win on an artificial surface*

*Completely in researched just going of my vague memory

Is it artificial or real grass kermis ?

I wonder if Glasgow will start with a couple of away fixtures given we're putting in our nice shiny new pitch?

pinky wrote: I'm always very curious to know what the process is for deciding the fixtures. Obviously for the interpro weekends, the individual unions get to decide, but for the rest of them, is it supposed to be random or what's the craic?
Hoping to go to the first away game of the season this year, especially if we're away first, defending the title and all that. So hopefully it's somewhere I haven't been lately.

There is a lad I work with, who has a brother. This brother has a friend who works with Munster.
From talking to the lad that I work with, he was told, that the teams basically "bid" for the fixtures. Not sure if there is an order to who gets what fixtures, but I was told that all the teams recommend who they wish to play each weekend, and this is taken into consideration

Didn't know where to put this post but the Iceland fans sure brought out goosebumps with this
www.independent.ie/videos/sport/watch-th...m-34856661.html#play
Even the fields of athenry would have to take a second to that

Borders no.2 wrote: I Think as champions we might be playing a bigger than on the first weekend than we usually do..

There isn't much of a pattern to it. Two seasons ago, the opening weekend featured a repeat of the previous final. Last season Glasgow were at home to Scarlets. When Munster won it, they got to launch their defence at home to Dragons.

I'd say we'll either get something like Treviso or dragons away or Ospreys or Glasgow at home

Its come around quickly enough. Think as champions we might be playing a bigger than on the first weekend than we usually do.

Going to be a whole new challenge come September. Its going to be a huge ask to match up to the kind of expectations that will be on the team this season.

I'm always very curious to know what the process is for deciding the fixtures. Obviously for the interpro weekends, the individual unions get to decide, but for the rest of them, is it supposed to be random or what's the craic?
Hoping to go to the first away game of the season this year, especially if we're away first, defending the title and all that. So hopefully it's somewhere I haven't been lately.

Hopefully away from home, against Treviso
I've a wedding on the 2nd of September. Dont want to miss the opening home game of the season

The fixtures for next season will be released next Wednesday according to the official Pro12 twitter account. Invalid consumer key/secret in configuration

Anyone care to speculate who we'll get first? We haven't started a season away from home since 2011 at Treviso. 2012 we were at home to Cardiff, then Zebre in 2013. The last two years we've been at home to Dragons.